What About Preventive Medicine In Health Care Debate?

Throughout the Health Care debate the one area that has received little or no consideration is the focus on preventive medicine! Often resources are spent on curing the disease, but little is allocated to preventing the problem in the first place. The United States has an extremely high obesity rate that contributes to the rising cost of health care in this country.

Businesses across the nation have begun to incorporate Wellness programs into their health care plans, but more needs to be done. Any health care reform plan must include some kind of preventative medicine or wellness program.

Study after study has stated the only way to achieve reliable and healthy methods to achieve a healthy body is to exercise coupled with a healthy diet of nutritious foods. There is no secret in maintaining a healthy life style but each individual must take personnel responsibility for themselves.

The first step is exercise pure and simple! You can find many reasons why not to exercise, but it’s still an excuse; everyone has time to exercise! Currently I am in rolled in a martial arts program and I have witnessed many different individual physical fitness levels. Some are in great physical shape and other s are not, but the underlining theme is that these people are out doing something to a healthy lifestyle.

During my martial arts training I have witnessed children with Down Syndrome practicing martial arts. While obtaining my black belt in Kempo, one of the participants was confined to wheelchair and was training and eventually obtained his black belt. Currently I train with a grandmother who enjoys martial arts because she wants to obtain a desired fitness level.

I am not saying that we all have to train in martial arts, but do something! My father is ninety one years old and in excellent health. He attributes is health to eating healthy and regular exercise. His exercise regiment was not going to a gym, but working outside doing gardening and other outside activities. Growing up we were always outside running, biking and other physical activities and with his example as we grew into adulthood we maintained a healthy lifestyle.

Today more of our youth spend more time behind a computer instead of out in the fresh air engaged in healthy pursuits. Can we surmise obesity effects the youth of this nation at an alarming rate!

Before any health care legislation is passed it must include preventive medicine or wellness programs, if not then we as a nation will suffer the consequence of higher health care costs!